Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
